Defendant denied request for murder trial

A San Antonio man with a history of domestic violence allegations asked a judge Tuesday to rescind his previous no-contest plea on a manslaughter charge in the death of his common-law wife.

Victor Andra Ray, 40, told state District Judge Lori Valenzuela that he preferred to try his luck in front of a jury on a murder charge ? the original charge before he reached a plea agreement ? rather than have the judge decide on a sentence for manslaughter.

Valenzuela denied the request. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Under the manslaughter plea deal, Ray faces up to 20 years in prison or the possibility of deferred adjudication probation in the March 26, 2008, shooting death of Paula A. Meadows, 35. He signed the agreement June 22, as potential jurors for his murder trial were lined up outside the 437th District courtroom.

Police arrested Ray after Meadows' 14-year-old daughter called 911 stating that she heard Ray say ?I'm going to kill you? from the couple's bedroom moments before the shooting. He had been wanted for three years on a previous domestic violence warrant, according to court records.

?She was mad because she thought I was cheating on her,? Ray testified Tuesday, repeating his earlier assertions that Meadows pulled a gun on him before it went off as they were struggling for it. ?I want a chance to prove my actual innocence.

?By me signing that plea, I felt like I was agreeing to something I didn't do. I felt backed into a corner.?

Ray said he wavered on the day of trial after his previous attorneys said his stepdaughter would be subjected to gruesome crime scene photos. He was afraid he'd look bad to jurors, he said, because he had previously told police he didn't want Meadows' children to have to relive the incident.

Within minutes of signing the agreement, he realized he had made a mistake, he said.

But once a plea agreement is signed, a judge has discretion to hold a defendant to it, said prosecutor David Henderson. Ray appeared to be smarter than the average inmate and knew what he was signing up for, Henderson argued.